Amaechi Okonkwo
There are reports that the governorship and state legislative elections are not held in some three local government areas of Rivers State.
The local government areas are Asari-Toru, Gokana and Khana local government areas and they are strongholds of significant candidates in the governorship election.
Asari-Toru is an Ijaw riverine local government area which has at least four governorship candidates, Tonye Cole, APC; Dumo Lulu-Briggs, Accord; Sobomabo Jackrich of the National Rescue Movement and Dr Dawari George of Action Alliance.
As of 1 pm, election materials were yet to arrive at the local government area even as the INEC Electoral Officer EO was yet to be seen anywhere in the area.
A source from the area stated that INEC, therefore, cancelled the ballot at the site and was headed back to Port Harcourt. She said no one was available to explain to the people the reason behind the absence of election materials or officials.
The same situation was reported in Gokana and Khana local government areas which form part of the four local government areas making up the Ogoni, the ethnic nationality and political base of the Social Democratic Party SDP governorship candidate, Magnus Abe.
An inside source at INEC told our Correspondent that the reason was due to violence from the area complaining about the trouble the commission is experiencing from politicians and supporters in Rivers State.
Efforts to get the position of the election umpire proved abortive as Mark Usulo, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity VEP of the Rivers INEC who has the competence to speak on the matter could not take his calls when contacted.
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